High level of soft drink consumption associated with asthma and/or COPD
Excessive consumption of soft drinks – such as Coke, lemonade, flavored mineral water, Powerade, and Gatorade – are linked with an increased chance of asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Zumin Shi, MD, PhD, of the University of Adelaide, and fellow researchers interviewed almost 17,000 participants in South Australia and found that one in ten adults drink more than half a liter of soft drink daily. Results showed the amount of soft drink consumption is associated with an increased chance of asthma and/or COPD. There exists a dose-response relationship, which means the more soft drink one consumes, the higher the chance of having these diseases.
The odds were derived by comparing those who consumed more than half a liter of soft drinks and those who abstained.
“Our study emphasizes the importance of healthy eating and drinking in the prevention of chronic diseases like asthma and COPD,” Zumin concludes.
